A Memory To Forget
by Buick Regal Racecar 56
Summary: Watching Katniss's vain attempt to save Rue, Haymitch remembers his own Games, where his attempt to rescue Maysilee turned into a memory he wouldn't soon forget. One-shot.


_Hello Hunger Games fans! This is my first time writing Hunger Games fanfiction, although I've been an author on here and a Hunger Games fan for awhile. I hope you all enjoy it :)_

A Memory To Forget

They all watch in an intense, almost morbid, fascination at the event unraveling in the arena. With all the cameras they have in there, we already know exactly the trap the boy from District 1 has set up for Katniss. I ignore the screen, instead paying attention to the more enrapturing sound of the ice clinking against the glass as the transparent cubes float through the alcohol. Admittedly, I've yet to take a drink, despite it being my habit to do so. I hear Katniss answering the District 11 girl's calls, the screams of the little girl a desperate plea that I'm beginning to realize are unlikely to be answered in time. The first scream from the little girl, which broke the silence that had been building as Katniss tried to figure out what was going on, began bringing the old memories back- memories from my Games, memories I usually tried to dilute with alcohol because it was easier to forget than to remember...

_**-flashback-**_

_ My laughter cuts off immediately, my head snapping in the direction of the scream so fast it feels like I may have broken something, even though I know I haven't. My hand instinctively goes to my knife, even as I realize that the scream sounds oddly familiar- or rather, the voice which is producing the noise. Maysilee Donner. My former ally. Despite our alliance having been ended, I make a split second decision to see what sort of trouble she's in, as most everything surrounding us in this arena has proved to be eerily deadly. I take off running towards the screams, my hand staying around the handle of the knife just in case it's trouble I can't handle. When I finally reach the source of the screams, I slide to a halt so fast I nearly fall. Bright pink birds with long, thin, almost swordlike beaks surround her- and as I watch, one of the beaks sinks through Maysilee's neck as if the girl were made of paper. She falls back, hands going to her neck. I'm vaguely aware of the creatures dispersing as I sprint, at what seems like inhuman speeds, over to her, and catch her just before she hits the ground, then gently lay her down so that she doesn't get hurt more from the impact. I don't know why I'm doing this- I'm just a boy from the Seam, and she's a merchant's daughter who probably didn't know who exactly I was until the day of the Reaping. And it's not like I knew her either, to tell the truth- I just felt comfortable around someone from my district. Her eyes find mine, and I feel a slight pressure on my hand, and look down to find she's grabbed hold of my hand. I don't object- I can see that she won't survive this. She's almost choking to get air it seems like, and I find it's a horrible way to die, choking on your on blood. Yet, for a moment, I forget that she has a fatal wound that is rapidly depleting her life from her, and see something in her eyes that is more powerful than any words she could've spoken. Something in her eyes tells me that I need to win- I have a chance, and I need to prove that District 12 can have a victor. For a moment, it seems time freezes. It's a powerful request to put upon someone, this desire for me to win, especially considering I scarcely know her. But, after that moment, I nod almost imperceptibly, agreeing to her unspoken deal. She manages a brief smile- then her features go blank, and I realize a split second before the cannon shot that she's gone. Without allowing any emotion on my face, I release her hand, painfully aware of the blood that is painting my skin. I take on moment to brush her hair out of her eyes, not to make her look presentable to the cameras, but to give her one last moment of looking, well, pretty before she's taken off and sent back to District 12. I stand up, checking my things, leaving hers with her. And then I leave, never once looking back at Maysilee Donner. To anyone watching, it may seem a bit cold, but I'll keep her promise. I'll win, even if it is to keep a promise to girl I knew nothing about._

_**-end flashback-**_

The memory fades to nothing, and I become aware of singing. I realize after a moment that it's Katniss's voice, yet in a more... entrancing way than I would've thought possible. I risk a glance at the screen, and immediately regret it. Katniss is holding the little girl's hand, and as I watch, the girl dies while Katniss sings to her in a shaky way that seems to promise tears. For a moment, as if I'm watching my own Games, the little girl seems to be Maysilee and Katniss seems to be me. Then it's back to normal, and Katniss finishes her song. I watch only a moment longer after that, then turn away. I take a sip of my drink, and leave the room. Sometimes, the memories of what happened in my Games are triggered by some little event, and I gladly banish these moments to the back of my mind. And sometimes, I remember that Maysilee Donner is among these- but even she's a memory that I need to forget, especially if I'm going to keep any tributes from 12 alive.

___This takes place during The Hunger Games, of course. Although the entire flashback was based off of the paragraph in Catching Fire where you learn about how Maysilee Donner died. Katniss compares Haymitch staying there with Maysilee until the end to her own experience with Rue, and seeing as Haymitch is one of my favorites, I wanted to see if I could do a story with him. _

_Buick Regal Racecar 56_


End file.
